DisadvantagesMat: less than perfect eyesightMoridin: tendency to monologue, used to others doing his dirty work for him, never really done well in his own fights.

How we think the fight will go:

At the far end of the room, a small door made of pale wood opened, and a man came through. He was a tall fellow, dressed for a ball in silks of black and red, fine lace at the cuffs and neck, yet it was not the strangeness of a man so dressed while outside Caemlyn burned that made Mat stare.

“Three sets. You step into a room, and three sets stop,” Mat breathed. The man studied him silently, and Mat noticed another strange thing—-black dots streaming across his eyes from one to the next. A memory stirred, something from the Trolloc Wars...a whisper, a nightmare tale, but as soon as the thought touched him, it was gone. Mat scowled. “So who are you when you’re at home?”

“My name is Moridin.”

Mat barked a laugh. “Death is it, then? Blood and ashes, man, you don’t bother to walk small, do you.”

“I know who you are, boy.” The man who called himself Death smiled briefly, as if at a joke that Mat could not see.

“Oh, do you then?” Mat shrugged to feel the knife between his shoulder blades, and met the man’s smile with a grin of his own. “So who am I?”

“The boy with the dagger.”

Mat’s grin turned sickly and faded away as he remembered the feel of his own fingers clutching himself, a figurine that wore his face, and the laughter of a man with fire for eyes and mouth. Several things happened at once, then. First his Ashendarei went spinning from his right hand, and the dagger that left his left hand was struck aside mid-air, both by something he could not see. He would have thought the Power, but instead of cold his medallion grew warm, and suddenly something seized him.

“Did you think you could kill me?” Moridin asked. “Catch me by surprise? I’ve known you for thousands of years, across thousands of turnings of the Wheel, wearing thousands of faces. We have done this dance before, Cauthon, and you cannot win.”

“We’ve a bet then,” Mat said grimly. The air had grown softer now, still thick like tapioca pudding, but he could move his arm. Was his medallion doing this, or was Moridin releasing him. “Pity for you.”

Moridin laughed, and Mat felt a cold chill. Ba’alzamon’s laugh, there was no doubt. “It is always so, with you. The jokes and the games; an old friend, an old enemy.”

“I was never your friend.”

“You think not? Have you no wonder from whence comes your luck?”

Mat pushed himself at the bonds, and his medallion grew unbearably hot beneath his shirt. Moridin began to laugh wildly—-until whatever it was that held Mat began to pulse and twist.

“What are you doing? No! You fool!”

Something snapped, and a shockwave ran through the room. Suddenly released, Mat went flying wildly. He threw a knife as he went, but it was a blind throw, and then he was crashing to the ground, the hip he had injured in Ebou Dar afire with pain. He twisted, pain or no pain, new knives in his hands, to see they weren’t necessary. Moridin was on his knees, staring at Mat in shock. As Mat watched, awareness drained from his face, and he fell sideways with a solid thump.

Mat pulled himself to his feet, grimacing at his hip, and then went to stand over the man who called himself Death. The throw had been a wild one, but it had taken Moridin square in the chest. Mat realised he was whistling ‘dance with jack o’ the shadows’ and stopped as he stooped to pull his blade out, cleaning it on the red and black silk shirt. He felt the weight of the blade for a moment, grinning down at the dead man. “I don’t know where it came from friend, but I’ll tell you this; luck’s a horse to ride like any other, and I always win.”

Final note: Obviously there is too much we don’t know to accurately depict this—-would Mat’s medallion work on the True Power? Would Mat’s luck—-the Dark One’s own, according to RJ, at least in a sense—-work upon Moridin? In the end I opted make judgment calls in the hopes of giving you something fun. Now, let the vote decide!

Predicted Winner: Mat???

You have until Saturday, February 18th at 9:00 p.m. PST to vote.

White Ajah Aes Sedai...Bonded to BenT-Gaidin...Sis of Nia, MJF, and Mighte...Mentor of Many

Well, the saying "the dark ones own luck" seems to simply be a reference to amazingly good lucky, which we all know Mat has. I doubt the Shadow is intentionally giving Mat his luck, since it has thwarted them on more than one occasion. As such I see no reason for Moridin to not be effected as is everyone else.

to my mind... its based on a simple question... does mat's medallion block the true power? if yes, mat, easy win... if no, moridin easy win... and, surprise surprise, we have no way to tell which is the case...

to my mind... its based on a simple question... does mat's medallion block the true power? if yes, mat, easy win... if no, moridin easy win... and, surprise surprise, we have no way to tell which is the case...

Yup. That was the crux for me too, and no way to write it and avoid answering the question, so I flipped a coin. :)

to my mind... its based on a simple question... does mat's medallion block the true power? if yes, mat, easy win... if no, moridin easy win... and, surprise surprise, we have no way to tell which is the case...

Yup. That was the crux for me too, and no way to write it and avoid answering the question, so I flipped a coin. :)

Hmm, so it seems that Mat is lucky enough that your coin landed in such a way as to make him the winner in your write-up? *mind blown*

"Women sniff and men snort but the wheel of time weaves as it will." - By the smartest guy ever.

to my mind... its based on a simple question... does mat's medallion block the true power? if yes, mat, easy win... if no, moridin easy win... and, surprise surprise, we have no way to tell which is the case...

Yup. That was the crux for me too, and no way to write it and avoid answering the question, so I flipped a coin. :)

Hmm, so it seems that Mat is lucky enough that your coin landed in such a way as to make him the winner in your write-up? *mind blown*

What's worse is it landed on the edge a thousand times before granting me the answer. Bloody ta'veren.

Since using the TP is along the same lines as the OP but more like a corrupted version, it stands to reason that the medallion may do the same to the TP but cause nasty side effects for the wearer/channeler or some combination.

Since using the TP is along the same lines as the OP but more like a corrupted version, it stands to reason that the medallion may do the same to the TP but cause nasty side effects for the wearer/channeler or some combination.

but mat asked the finn to "be free of the aes sedai"... yet they do not channel the TP... theres not much reason for the medallion to block the TP... its not part of his wish, theres no reason for it too... but that doesnt mean it doesnt... 50:50

Since using the TP is along the same lines as the OP but more like a corrupted version, it stands to reason that the medallion may do the same to the TP but cause nasty side effects for the wearer/channeler or some combination.

but mat asked the finn to "be free of the aes sedai"... yet they do not channel the TP... theres not much reason for the medallion to block the TP... its not part of his wish, theres no reason for it too... but that doesnt mean it doesnt... 50:50

Why would it be so simple as whether or not TP is effected by the foxhead? It can be circumvented, and I'd expect the fight to last long enough for Moridin to figure that out if he doesn't know already. Luck and ta'veren-ness don't protect him from everything, his death in Caemlyn is proof of that.